We live in terrifying times. Particularly if we’re disabled.
Right now, efforts are underway to turn back the clock on our rights and freedoms. Massive budget cuts to programs disabled folks depend on are being seriously considered. United Spinal is mobilizing our advocates to fight for the disability community.
And yet, I keep getting messages from people unwilling to believe what’s happening.
You see, there’s no way that “their side” would do that. The leader of their party said that we’d be safe, that we’d be protected.
You think you know what I’m referring to, don’t you? Not quite!
Here’s the unvarnished truth
The truth of the matter is that both parties are doing this right now – Republicans at the federal level, which they control, and Democrats in certain states that they control.
Here’s the unvarnished truth. Republicans are proposing massive federal cuts to Medicaid. Republicans did pass a budget in the House of Representatives that would require massive cuts to Medicaid – the math doesn’t work otherwise. Seventeen Republican state attorneys general did file a lawsuit that seeks to declare Section 504, one of the most important disability anti-discrimination laws we have, unconstitutional, and they are either lying about it or didn’t read the fine print when they signed onto it.
At the same time, Democrats in states like New York and Maryland are proposing huge cuts to Medicaid and other disability programs. And it is largely Democrats who are leading efforts in a number of states to legalize or expand physician-assisted suicide, which is discriminatory against people with disabilities.
We call out all bad ideas, whether red or blue
Before joining United Spinal, I spent ten years on Capitol Hill as one of the very few openly disabled staffers in Congress. With few disabled elected officials and few disabled staff working for them, it is even more important that we as a community speak up loudly and in force to tell them what our needs are and educate them about our experiences. Given that one in four Americans has at least one disability, and one in eight Americans has a mobility disability, we should be able to flood our lawmakers with emails and phone calls.
Disabled people don’t have the luxury of believing that whatever “side” you’re on can’t come up with an idea that’s going to hurt you. If there was ever a moment in time that demanded that we all take off our red or blue-tinted glasses, this is it. It doesn’t matter who comes up with a bad idea: We’re going to call it out and fight it.
Federal cuts to Medicaid are a bad idea. They would hurt millions of people with disabilities. They would make it harder for disabled people to remain free and active members of their communities. Any state that chooses to balance its budget by slashing services for disabled folks is also pursuing bad policy that makes it harder for disabled folks to live there.
You have the power to stop this
Let’s be clear why we are the target: As a community, we have yet to realize our collective power. As I mentioned, one in eight Americans has a mobility disability. The average Congressional district has about 760,000 people. If even one in one hundred people with mobility disabilities were to email their Congressperson on any given topic, they’d be flooded with about 950 emails apiece. From experience, I can tell you that they would all take us seriously.
This is why I’ve been so focused on building up the legislative advocacy infrastructure of our movement through our Grassroots Advocacy Network. Our success depends on unleashing the full force of our community on our elected officials through emails, phone calls, and meetings. The more people who send our action alert emails to their Congressional offices, the more likely we’ll be heard.
Given that need, I am politely but firmly asking: Please be willing to call out bad ideas, even if they come from your “team.” We need all the help we can get! If it makes you feel better to identify yourself as someone who voted for them, go ahead. I’d argue that makes our message more impactful.
Now, more than ever, we need all hands on deck. Are you ready to join the fight?
United Spinal launched the Advocacy Impact Fund: a bold initiative to empower and amplify the voices of people with disabilities and fight against these harmful policies. Your gift to the AIF defends the dignity and rights of wheelchair users and ensures their voices are heard. Your support will fuel the fight for accessible communities, equitable healthcare, and policies that support independent living.
